Hey, Jewschoolers. Check out my piece in Heeb about Lou Reed, z”l. I’ll tease it here, and you can click on the link to read the rest on Heeb. ————————– If you’re reading this, you probably already know that Lou…
This Shabbat, Jews the world over read Parashat Hayei Sarah (Bereishit 23:1-25:18), opening with the detailed narration of Sarah’s death and Avraham’s negotiated purchase of the Cave of Machpela from local Hittites as a burial ground. Thousands of Jews will…
Book Review: What Do You Buy the Children of the Terrorist Who Tried to Kill Your Wife? A Memoir, by David Harris-Gershon What do you buy the children of the terrorist who tried to kill your wife? This is not…
“Chain gleaming, switching lanes, two-seater. Hate him or love him for the same reason. Can’t leave it; the game needs him. Plus, the people need someone to believe in.” –Nas, “Hero” (2008) In the past couple of days, since Rav…
Introduction: Halakhic Insights from Outsiders I’m always intrigued when individuals or groups of people who are meticulously observant of some law system – particularly Halakhah – perceive themselves as not observing something even though they understand it to be the…
“Perpetrators, we can point ’em out/So if you’ve got something on your mind, let it out!” –Beastie Boys and Nas, “Too Many Rappers“, 2009 We find ourselves on the cusp of Tisha B’Av, our day of national grief and anger…
This is a guest post by Aryeh Bernstein. Aryeh comes from Chicago, lives in Jerusalem, and works for NY’s Mechon Hadar; in 2011, under the moniker The Branding Iron, he independently released his debut hip-hop album, “A Roomful of Ottomans” with…
I’m a teacher. In both formal and informal settings, I’ve always had a soft spot for “problem kids”. Well, a certain kind of problem kids, anyway – kids who considered rules optional, who showed up at what they wanted to…
A new poem by Aryeh Bernstein. Chorus: City of David, City of Peace Criminal haven, den of thieves. Spiritual knaves, as Jeremiah preached We’re digging our graves with our arrogant greed. The undivided, eternal, Come all, come one, never mind…
This is a new rap by Jerusalem rapper Aryeh Bernstein, posted here with permission. He wishes to note that he generally eschews profanity in writing, but makes an exception here because proper translation of the characters into this genre requires…